Head washtray



R, A. MOCLURE Sept. 5, 1950 HEAD WASHTRAY 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 7, 1948 INVENTOR) ROBERT A. MOCLURE) W 4. mm

flTTQRNEY Patented Sept. 5, 1950 I HEAD W HIIEAY 7 Robert A. McClure, Kokomn, 11111., assig-nor do .Mercer. "Products. Corporatign, g lndianz lmlis, ind-la corporation of Indiana Application February 7, 194s; ea a 1 Claim.

l1 7 Thisadnvention relates; .a. tray of a nature which may be employed tobridg-e between the back of a-ch-air andealavatoryto. facilitate the washing and rinsing of 'ones hair. A primary object- 0f the invention to provide a struc- JtvlZI-C 'Qf this nature' -whichwill be held; in place =by the body oftheperson'whose head is being washed So that the tray will at all times be properly positioned in reference to the neck of the person to prevent the flow of water down the neck and to protect the person during the washing and rinsing operation.

A further important object of the invention is to provide a structure which is extremely simple and yet easily operated and which may be stored readily without occupying undue space.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent to those versed in the art in the following description of the invention made in reference to the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a. view in perspective of the invention as applied between a chair and a lavatory;

Fig. 2, a top plan view;

Fig. 3, a view in longitudinal vertical section on the line 33 in Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4, a view in end elevation.

In reference to the drawings in which like characters of reference indicate like parts throughout the several views, a, tray is formed to have a major planar surface It). This surface it] is made to be narrower at the discharge end H of the tray and wider at the opposite end which is the end adjacent the person whose head is to be washed.

Preferably the side edges of this area it) diverge outwardly one from the other in respect to the longitudinal center line in going backward from the edge 1 I. The edge i2, opposite from the edge H, is centrally cut away in a symmetrical fashion about the longitudinal center line to provide an opening between two extending portions it and H. The cut away portion is designed to receive therein the neck of the person whose head is to be washed and to have the portions [6 and H extend across the shoulders of that person. The end I2 is carried around from the lateral edges 53 and M by rounded corners 26 and 2| to merge respectively into the sloping edges 98 and 19 which are joined centrally by the curved edge i5, this curve i5 being spaced inwardly from the edge i2, all as best shown in Fig. 2.

An upwardly turned flange 22 is provided to extend around the side edges of the area IE) and to follow completely around the curves and 2 #:2! across the end 12 in each instance and-thence down continuously around the edges 18,15 and I9." As indicated in Fig. 2, the ends of the flange 22- are-sloped. inwardly bythe portions 123- and lib-Fig. 2,-atthe-edge i l so as to direct water flowing across the area -14] centrally between the :endsof: theifla-nge.

Then as a means of finishing the top edge of the flange 22, there is provided a finish molding 25. This molding may consist simply of a U-shaped rubber molding which frictionally engages over the top edge of the flange 22 to extend completely therearound. Not only does this molding 25 serve as a. finish but it serves also to bear against the neck of the person particularly around those portions above the edges l8, I5 and I9 so as to form a water seal.

On the underside of the tray just back of the curved edge 15 is hinged a downwardly extending panel 26. This panel is preferably curved in cross section somewhat, as indicated by the dash lines in Fig. 2. The convex side of the panel 26 is on that side toward the edge II when the panel 26 is hanging downwardly as indicated in the several views. The hinge 21 which interconnects the panel 26 with the underside of the area [0 is made to be such that the panel 26 may be completely folded up against the underside of that part HI. However, the essential thing is that the member 26 is free to swing into different angular positions in reference to the area II].

In using the structure, the edge II is preferably placed over the inside of a lavatory 28 and then the opposite portion of the tray I0 is rested across the top of a chair 29 to have the panel 26 hang downwardly on the front side of the back of that chair, all as indicated in Fig. 1. Then the person who is to be operated upon sits on the chair 29 and leans back against the panel 26 with his or her neck in the portion between the edges i8 and I9 so that the flange 22 therearound firmly abuts the skin of the neck. Then, depending upon the angle of the back of the chair 29, the head may be thrown backwardly to have the hair extend primarily over the top of the tray l0. By reason of the presence of the panel 26, the proper relationship is maintained at all times of the tray with the neck of the person. The pressure of the back of the person against the panel 25 retains the tray in that position as desired.

Preferably there is provided on the back side of panel 23 a strip of frictional material 30 such as rubber and it is corrugated on the back side as to provide additional resistance against the back of the chair to displacement. Also the underside of the tray area 10 is provided with strips at least of friction material such as rubber, these strips being designated by the numerals 3i and 32. These strips l and 32 intervene between the underside of the tray area l0 and the top side of the rim of the lavatory 28. Obviously the chair 29 is selected to have the proper height of back and also the proper angle of inclination from the vertical so as to obtain the desired degree of angle of the tray area I0.

While I have herein shown and described my invention in the one particular form, it is obvious that structural variations may be employed without departing from the spirit of the invention, and I, therefore, do not desire to be limited to that precise description beyond the limitations as may be imposed in the following claim.

I claim:

A hair wash tray for bridging between the back of a chair and a rim of a sink which is spaced from the chair, comprising a substantially planar fioor having a discharge end, and an opposite end shaped to engage around the back and sides of the neck of the person whose hair is to be Washed; an upright flange extending completely around the floor except across said discharge end; a friction area on the underside of said floor to be in contact with said sink rim, said fioor being otherwise free to slide across said rim; a back board; a hinge confined entirely to the underside of said floor and hingedly interconnecting an upper end of said board to said floor adjacent the neck end of said floor; said board being arcuate in lateral cross-section, and being free at all times to swing on said hinge to a normally, vertically, downwardly hanging position; said board having that length to bear by its lower end portion against the back of said person as a lever over said chair back to force said neck end firmly against the persons neck, with said floor remaining free to travel over said sink rim and chair back to permit said neck contact.

ROBERT A. MGCLURE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,425,513 Czajcinski et al. Aug. 12, 1947 2,451,653 Bazelon Oct. 19, 1948 

